Best Film Ensemble

Samuel L. Jackson on being ‘smartest person in the room’ in ‘The Hateful Eight’ [Exclusive Video]

“Major Warren is a survivor. He’s learned to make his way in a world that’s very dangerous for a person like him. From slavery to the Civil War, to now being a free man in a very wild and crazy time where everybody is carrying a gun,” reveals Samuel L. Jackson about his character in the new Quentin Tarantino film “The Hateful Eight.” In our recent interview (watch below), he adds, “He’s figured out a way to make it as a tough guy. And he’s figured out a way to smarten his way through things sometimes because people underestimate him. He’s the smartest person in the room.”

In the latest movie from director and writer Tarantino, a fugitive (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is being transported through post-Civil War Wyoming by a bounty hunter (Kurt Russell). Rival hunter Major Marquis Warren (Jackson) hitches a ride on the stagecoach along with a rumored new sheriff (Walton Goggins). A blizzard forces them and other dastardly people to take refuge in a haberdashery, where there are lots of secrets and lies among the eight characters.

Jackson has a lengthy monologue in the middle of the film which is critical for setting up the remainder of the movie. Of shooting that scene, he says, “People see it, hear it, and watch it. The first time I did it, the crew applauded. Everybody hadn’t really heard it in that aspect with me in costume, in that room, in the cold. It’s a whole other dynamic when you do it.”

Jackson’s work in “Pulp Fiction” (1994) with Tarantino resulted in Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG Awards. He also won the Independent Spirit Award that year as a lead actor. During his career, he has been a Globe nominee for “A Time to Kill” (1996), “Jackie Brown” (1997), and the telefilm “Against the Wall” (1994).

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